


A Lifetime Ago

by YumeArashi



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Diary/Journal, Kink Meme, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-22
Updated: 2013-01-22
Packaged: 2017-11-26 10:48:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/649729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YumeArashi/pseuds/YumeArashi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leonardo finds something unexpected in the pages of the Codex.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lifetime Ago

**Author's Note:**

> Set during Assassin's Creed II. Inspired by this kinkmeme prompt: http://forkinsocket.livejournal.com/16841.html?thread=1119689#t1119689

“Oho, you’ve found another!  How exciting!”  Leonardo beamed and took the codex page, jotting down a decrypted translation while Ezio waited patiently.  “Move this here and then…that should do it!  Ah, but what’s this?”

“What’s what, Leonardo?”

“In addition to the usual discussion, the back of the page is entirely covered in some hastily jotted notes - poor handwriting, but the same hand, very unusual.  Let me just see now….‘it is difficult to write these words, but I must give some voice to this.  I can no longer deny what I….’  Oh.  Oh my!”

Ezio looked over at the blushing artist curiously.  “What is it?”

“Ah, nothing,” Leonardo’s blush deepened.  “It seems to be something rather…personal.”

“Si?” Ezio grinned.  “A peek into the private life of the famed Altaïr?  Do tell!”

“I really should not, it was clearly not meant for anyone’s eyes but his own.”

“Oh come now, don’t be such a prude.  So he had a woman, did he?”

“Er…it wasn’t actually a woman…”

Ezio’s jaw dropped.  “A man?  Truthfully?”

Leonardo’s face was scarlet.  “Truthfully.  One of his fellow Assassins, in fact.”

Ezio sat on the workbench beside Leonardo, peering at the page as though he could read the encrypted Arabic.  “What was his name?  How did they come to meet?  Were such things allowed back then?”

The artist can’t help but wonder at Ezio’s curiosity, but he had already disrespected Altaïr’s privacy (may the man forgive him) and might as well continue.  “According to this, it was one of his peers, a man named Malik.  Apparently they grew up together and were friends before a mission somehow went badly wrong - it’s only referred to vaguely here - and left Malik deeply bitter towards him.  It is really quite touching how longingly Altaïr speaks of earning Malik’s forgiveness, and how deeply he regrets what happened.  It’s all entirely unrequited, of course; this failed mission seems to have happened not long before this page was written, and Altaïr writes that Malik is still quite venomous towards him.”  He smoothed out the page, looking quietly pensive.  “It’s sad, really.  He seems deeply hopeless that they might ever come to any kind of reconciliation, let alone be able to form a relationship.”

“So even the great Altaïr could make mistakes, and fall in love…”  Far from being flippant, Ezio’s tone was thoughtful as well.  “How does it end?  Does this Malik ever forgive him?”

“As it seems to be something of a journal entry, there really is no ending, per se.  But maybe if you find more pages, Altaïr will write of him again.  If you bring them to me, I will let you know.”

Ezio nodded.  “I already planned to, but I would be interested to know if there is more to this story.”

*****

There was indeed more.  “It is a hard thing,” Ezio commented after a second page described in detail the debacle at Solomon’s Temple.  “For Malik to have lost both his brother and his arm, it is understandable that he would be unable to forgive Altaïr.”

“True,” Leonardo agreed, “But Altaïr was sincerely regretful of his actions and wished he could apologize.  And the event even caused Altaïr to truly appreciate Malik and come to acknowledge his feelings for him.  Of course Malik would have hard feelings at first, but surely in time he will be able to forgive, si?”

 _Not everyone is as forgiving as you_ , Ezio wanted to say - but looking into Leonardo’s hopeful face, he could not bring himself to do so.  “Perhaps in time.  But it is not enough for Altaïr to wish he could apologize - he must actually do so.”

Leonardo nodded.  “Well, we can only hope he will.”

*****

The story continued from there - with each codex page, the front held musings about the Assassin’s order, and the back held deeply personal descriptions of Altaïr’s struggle to heal his relationship with Malik.  Leonardo read them aloud, his soft voice colored by the long-ago emotions that had driven the assassin to pour out his heart on the pages.  Ezio listened with respectful curiosity as the tale unfolded.

Both men held out hope as Altaïr related how Malik seemed a little less bitter each time - and then Leonardo’s face lit up as he read that Altaïr had finally had the courage to offer his apology to his wronged friend.  At Ezio’s impatient demands to know what was going on, Leonardo related the apology and Malik’s graceful, mature response - even going so far as to accept some of the blame on himself.

“That is ridiculous!  He tried to stop Altaïr, he did everything he could!” Ezio said indignantly.

“Ah, but Malik’s words were not so much about that, I think,” Leonardo responded.  “It was more of a way of meeting Altaïr halfway, of showing that his forgiveness was genuine.”

“Maybe,” Ezio said doubtfully.  “If they were able to forgive each other, do you think they’ll ever find love?”

The soft, wistful tone surprised Leonardo, but the artist smiled encouragingly.  “I think anything is possible when it comes to love.  They were close once.  They could be close again, more so than they were even.”

“Such things were forbidden by their Brotherhood,” Ezio pointed out.

“Society has always frowned on love shared between men.  And yet, there have always been men to whom love means enough that they persevere even so.  And truly, does either Altaïr or Malik sound like the type to be overly concerned over such formalities?”

Ezio laughed.  “I suppose not.”

*****

“Such a change,” Leonardo smiled after reading what had passed between the two men during the confrontation with Al Mualim.  “From ‘your presence denies me both’ safety and peace to ‘your presence will deliver us both.”

Ezio nodded.  “And it’s not just Malik that has changed.  You can see how much Altaïr has changed just by the way he talks.  Er, writes.  He is much more mature and humble now.”

“Indeed, his overconfidence and self-importance have grown into a commendable sense of responsibility and respect for those around him.  Much like you have changed over the years,” Leonardo teased Ezio.

“Hey!”

****

Ezio poked Leonardo’s arm as the artist began to grin over the latest page.  “What?  What is it!”

“He confessed to Malik!”

“His feelings, really?  After all this time?” Ezio leaned over the page, forgetting in his eagerness that he could not read the encrypted text.  “What did Malik say?  You’re smiling, he must have said yes, right?”

Leonardo nodded, beaming.  “Malik’s tongue can still be tart, but he accepted Altaïr!  ‘I suppose that no one else would ever put up with you, so I’d better,’ were his exact words.”

Ezio laughed.  “So like Malik!”  He leaned back against the modeling couch, smiling.  “I am glad.  An assassin’s life is not easy.  It is good that Altaïr found someone to share it with.”

Leonardo looked at Ezio, thinking of the loneliness and hardship he must have faced over the years.  Not the same hardships and loneliness as Altaïr had struggled with, but no less painful, all the same.  “Yes, I expect he and Malik found much happiness together.  He writes that he won’t be continuing to write about his personal life in his journal, so I suppose this is our ‘happily ever after’.”

“That’s just as well,” Ezio said, suddenly serious.  “An assassin’s life is dangerous, too, and if anything happened to one of them….after all this, I would not want to hear about it.  I would rather believe that they were able to love one another and build a life together peacefully.”

Leonardo came and sat beside Ezio, resting a hand on his old friend’s shoulder.  “I’m sure they were.  Just as I’m sure that one day, you will be able to do the same with someone you love.”

Ezio looked over at his lifelong friend.  Maybe it was the years of solitary hunting that made him feel old and alone, maybe it was the love story they’d seen played out over the years through the pages of an ancient, cryptic journal.  Whatever the cause, he found himself suddenly wanting what Altaïr and Malik had shared, centuries ago. 

And who was the Malik to his own Altaïr if not Leonardo?  True, he had never deeply wronged the artist - unless one counted dragging Leonardo into the whole mire of sin and crime that was Ezio’s life - but they were as close as brothers, sharing complete trust and absolutely loyalty.  They had known tragedy and triumph together.  And no matter how much blood was on Ezio’s hands, Leonardo never failed to look at him with understanding and welcome and love.

He had wanted this all along, he realized.  He had just never seen the emotion for what it was.

Gently, Ezio reached out to touch Leonardo’s cheek.  “If I am ever able to find happiness in this life, it will be because of you,” he murmured, and drew Leonardo, unresisting, in for a kiss.


End file.
